What are the benefits of CBD Gummies?

What do CBD gummies do? Studies show that CBD helps to support inflammatory function, focus, pain, sleep, and mood.

In the last four years, CBD has gained widespread attention at a greater scale than ever before. Its sudden surge in popularity prompted scientists and universities alike to begin conducting CBD research. Majority of the recent CBD scientific literature has been performed with animals and functions as only preliminary research, however, the results are promising. 

· Helps to support healthy inflammatory function

CBD’s ability to support healthy inflammatory function is perhaps its most exciting benefit, with the potential ability to mitigate the painful symptoms of countless human discomforts. For this reason, numerous studies have been performed to examine CBD’s effect on inflammation, and though these studies have been primarily performed with animals, the results are promising. 

. Helps to relieve pain

With the danger of addiction looming over prescription pain relievers, it’s no wonder that people are looking for a more natural, less-habit forming relief. In a recent animal study, scientists found that CBD may interact with our body’s serotonin receptors, which is believed to be the reason that CBD could encourage greater pain management.

· Helps to support a healthy sleep cycle

There are many things that contribute to tossing and turning at night, including: stress, unrest, and physical pain. In 2019, The Permanente Journal performed a study in which they gave 72 people sleep issues just 25mg of CBD each day. Within just one month, 66.7% reported better sleep.

· Helps to promote a calm mood

Stress hormones help to trigger our body’s “fight or flight” response, but in the hustle and bustle of today’s world, these hormones are often over-triggered, leaving us overwhelmed. In a recent literature review, Neurotherapeutics compared 32 different animal based studies, and 31 of the 32 found CBD to have a potential positive effect on stress. these hormones are often over-triggered, leaving us overwhelmed. In a recent literature review, Neurotherapeutics compared 32 different animal based studies, and 31 of the 32 found CBD to have a potential positive effect on stress

The top 7 best benefits of CBD gummies

The benefits of CBD gummies include CBD’s most well-known benefits, which include supporting: a sense of relaxation, healthy joint mobility, and a normal inflammatory response. But that’s not all, there are a myriad of reasons why CBD gummies make the ideal choice for your CBD needs. 

1. Easy to use

The benefit of CBD gummies is that all you need is one gummy and you’re good to go. There is no need for preparation or guessing, and most of the time, people won’t even know that you’re taking CBD! It’s discrete, flavorful, and easy to use. 

2. No “high” feeling

The benefits of CBD gummies offer the same relaxation and clarity that marijuana users report, without the high. For this reason, CBD can be used on a daily basis without the concern of it getting in the way of cognitive performance.

3. Hemp-less taste

The benefits of CBD gummies is that because it’s created to emulate candy, it tastes just like a sweet treat and has hardly noticeable hints of hemp. It’s the perfect alternative for those who want to experience CBD’s benefits, but prefer to skip from hemp’s naturally strong flavor. 

4. Pre-dosed

One of the most common questions we receive is, “How much CBD should I take?”

Gummies easily solve this problem by coming in pre-dosed bites. Companies typically offer varied strengths designed for beginners, intermediate users, and experienced CBD fans. Therefore, dosing feels less like guessing and gives users the ability to make the leap up or down a dose, depending on how they feel.

5. Smoke free

CBD gummies benefit those with sensitivity to smoke or who find that inhaled CBD is too harsh on their lungs or throat because they’re smoke free and simply require chewing. 

6. Rich in antioxidants

CBD is a jam-packed antioxidant source, in fact, it’s known to contain more antioxidants than both vitamin C and E. Antioxidants help relieve the body’s oxidative stress and work as a natural defense team when it comes to keeping us healthy. 

7. Legal in India

CBD has had a complicated legal context due to hemp’s relation to the marijuana plant. While marijuana and hemp have many similarities, the plants are quite different in their chemical make-up and offer entirely different experiences for the consumer. 

Where the two plants differ the most is in their tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. Marijuana is typically high in THC, while hemp is low in THC. In the India, hemp products can be legally sold if their THC content is below 0.3% or 0.0%.

What are CBD gummies effects?

CBD gummies effects match the physical and mental benefits that a regular CBD product would provide. However, CBD gummies effects take a longer amount of time to kick in than CBD oil or CBD inhalables. The methods in which we take CBD are called, routes of administration. Inhaling, ingesting, topically-applying, and sublingual administration (under the tongue) are the most popular routes of administration for CBD. Here are the breakdowns for how long each method is said to take:

• Inhaling: 5 minutes
• Sublingual: 15 minutes
• Topical: 15 minutes
• Ingesting: 45 minutes to 2 hours

When you ingest a CBD gummy, it might not work as fast as CBD oil or CBD smokables, however, studies have shown ingestable CBD may have a longer lasting effect. As a CBD gummy has to go through your digestive and circulatory system, it’s processed over a longer period of time, with nutrients being absorbed at a slower pace. CBD gummies benefit those who want their CBD to last longer, rather than to work faster. Keep in mind, times listed may vary depending on height, weight, and other lifestyle factors.

Do CBD gummies work?

CBD gummies work, but you have to make sure you’re buying real CBD gummies. The number one way to make sure your CBD gummies work is to take a look at the 3rd party lab tests. 3rd party lab tests are ran by an outside agency that verifies the content of a product, which in this case, is CBD. 

By viewing 3rd party lab tests, you’ll be able to verify based off of cannabinoid content, whether or not your CBD gummies will work. 

Do CBD gummies get you high?

Whether or not CBD gummies get you high depends on 2 factors: dosage and extract type. 

Dosage

Full spectrum CBD gummies contain the whole hemp plant extract, meaning they come complete with hemp’s wide array of cannabinoids: CBD, CBN, THC, and more. However, full spectrum CBD products are required by law to contain less than 0.3% THC. This amount of THC is very small, but if you decide to take a large dose of a full spectrum CBD product, the likelihood increases that you could experience a high feeling. 

Extract Type

If you are concerned about experiencing a high or consider yourself to be THC sensitive, opt for a THC-Free Broad Spectrum CBD extract. This extract contains all of the same beneficial cannabinoids and the entourage effect like full spectrum CBD, but has the THC removed. When shopping for this CBD extract, be sure to check out the lab results to verify that it contains zero THC, but still contains vital cannabinoids other than CBD.

How many CBD gummies should I eat?

You should eat 1 CBD gummy at a time and determine which CBD gummies you should eat, by selecting the right CBD dosage for you. 

CBD gummies come in strengths from 450-2700MG, but this high MG number represents the total amount of CBD in the jar. Each gummy can contain from 15-90MG. Check out the following to see which gummy dosage suits you best:

• 450MG At 15mg per square, it’s the perfect dose for CBD beginners.
• 750MG At 25mg per square, it suits those looking for subtle strength in their CBD dose.
• 1350MG At 45mg per square, it’s ideal for with the CBD experienced.
• 2700MG At 90MG per square, it’s the highest potency CBD gummy on the market for advanced CBD users only.

What effect does CBD gummies make you feel?

CBD gummies make you feel the positive effects many associate with CBD products, including: a sense of relaxation, comfort, and calm. Some report that this feeling can feel similar to a high, but allows a greater sense of control and function. 

Don’t forget, CBD effects everyone differently and if you want to know how CBD gummies make you feel, start with a low dose of 15MG per gummy and try them for yourself.

How long do CBD gummies work for?

CBD gummies work for up to 7 hours. They’re considered edible CBD, which is known to have a slow onset of 30-90 minutes as the cannabinoids are digested through the gut and absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the liver. 

Another factor that may affect how long CBD gummies work for is the absorption rate. Fats included in the gummy recipe may increase absorption rates of the gummy by 50% overall, however, on it’s own, the absorption is about 20%. 

What are the side effects of CBD gummies?

Negative side effects with the use of CBD gummies are highly unlikely as CBD is a compound that has been shown to be commonly well-tolerated by a diverse array of users. 

With that being said, here are some signs to look for that may be considered an adverse reaction to CBD:

• Dry mouth
• Vomiting
• Decreased appetite
• Low blood pressure
• Lightheadedness
• Diarrhea

Keep in mind, these are not considered common reactions to CBD and are most commonly seen in individuals who aren’t familiar with nutrient dense foods, herbal medicine, or new to CBD.

Considerations for CBD gummies

When searching for the right CBD gummies to fit your needs, you might be enticed by a special fruity flavor or a unique gummy shape, but there is more to take into consideration, including: extract type, strength, and quality assurance. 

Extract type

Isolate CBD
A CBD isolate extract contains the cannabinoid, Cannabidiol (CBD) and nothing else. It’s the most widely available CBD extract. Isolate CBD can often help products contain higher concentrations of CBD, yet this doesn’t matter if proper quality assurance (lab testing and certifications) measures haven’t proven it’s quality CBD. 

Broad spectrum CBD
Broad spectrum CBD falls somewhere between Isolate CBD and full spectrum CBD: isolate CBD is the most processed form of CBD, broad spectrum is less processed, and full spectrum features whole plant matter. Broad spectrum CBD goes through a special extraction process in order to eliminate Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), leaving the bulk of CBD’s original cannabinoids untouched. 

Full spectrum CBD
Full spectrum CBD is the least processed form of hemp on the market, often called, the “whole-plant” extract. Full spectrum extracts are essentially the leaves, stalks, and flower of the hemp plant squeezed into a bottle. Therefore, this extract features the over 100+ beneficial cannabinoids of hemp working together to maximize therapeutic effects. 

Strength

We all know how easy it can be to buy a bag of candy gummies and easily down 5-10 pieces with little thought. However, with CBD gummies, one is all you need. See our dosing guide for CBD gummies below:

• Light 450MG At 15mg per square, it’s the perfect dose for CBD beginners.
• Elevated 750MG At 25mg per square, it suits those looking for some strength in their CBD dose.
• Ultra 1350MG At 45mg per square, it’s perfect for those with prior CBD experience who can handle a potent dose. 
• High Potency 2700MG At 90MG per square, it’s the highest potency CBD gummy on the market. For experienced CBD users only, use with caution.

Quality Assurance

Finding CBD you can trust is becoming more and more difficult as it gains popularity. In order to separate the good from the bad, you’ll need to make sure the CBD gummies you buy are certified & tested. The two most important measures you’ll want to check for is that your CBD gummies are produced in a GMP certified facility and that they are third-party laboratory tested. 

Purchasing gummies from GMP certified manufacturer helps you know that your gummies are safe, while third-party laboratory testing helps you make sure you CBD gummies actually contain CBD.

Summary

CBD gummies are an easy and discreet way of taking CBD for pain relief, depression, anxiety, or other conditions. There are many CBD products on the market, some of which are likely to be better than others.

At present, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not approve any over-the-counter CBD products. Therefore, individuals should carry out their own research.

The short answer? Yes, you can still donate if you smoke.

The long answer? Yes, you can still donate, but it’s a little complicated.

There are two questions here, really: “Can I donate blood if I smoke weed, in general,” and “Can I donate blood if I smoke weed that day.”

For the first question, it’s unequivocally: Yes.

When you smoke, most of the cannabis (80-90%) is excreted within 5 days as hydroxylated and carboxylated metabolites. So if you’re a light smoker and wait a few days, there’s a good chance your blood will have very low-to-negligible cannabis levels. Even if you’re heavy smoker, marijuana is absorbed mostly through your tissues, and excreted mainly through urine. While blood is the delivery method for all those tissues, what you’re imbibing is spending most of its time elsewhere in the blood or metabolizing in your blood.

In 2016, Leafly went the extra mile and reached out to several blood donation, companies to ask about cannabis use and donating. Everyone the publication contacted, including the American Red Cross, echoed the same: Being a general cannabis user will not prohibit you from donating, but you must be sober while physically making the donation.

Furthermore, one company noted that “the FDA does not require testing for THC either at registration or during testing for blood borne pathogens which all donated/collected blood receives.” And the American Red Cross told them that “legal or illegal use of marijuana is otherwise a cause of blood deferral.”

Technically, injectable drugs are what blood drives are really on the lookout for, since those patients’ chances of contracting a serious bloodborne illness. But all blood is tested before its given to patients, so donating doesn’t automatically mean your blood will be used.

For now, the answer overall seems like a “yes.”

However, if you’re toasted out of your mind while donating – and thus not really able to consent safely – most blood bank will not accept your red.

However, recently, a team from the University of London has found that using a metered dose of Cannabidiol can reduce cigarette consumption in tobacco smokers.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. It has a very different effect on the receptors when compared to tobacco. It decreases the craving of smoking tobacco in an individual, which leads to less tobacco consumption.

The Team Behind the Study

The experiment was carried out by Celia J.A. Morgan, Ravi K. Das, Alyssa Joye, H. Valerie Curran, and Sunjeev K. Kamboj, who belong to the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit of the University of London.

Their experiment not only defines how Cannabidiol can reduce tobacco consumption, but also how it can medically come into use.

Cannabidiol has shown a positive effect on the control of issues such as anxiety and depression.

CBD raises depleted levels of anandamide.

It is the primary neurotransmitter of the endocannabinoid system, which helps fight these problems.

The Procedure for Conducting the Study

The study of the Cannabidiol effect was done on 24 people who were already having more than ten cigarettes a day and expressed an intention to quit smoking.

These individuals were between the ages of 18-35 and were physically fit and had no medical records of illness etc.

The institutional ethics committee (UCL Graduate School) has approved it, and the Declaration of Helsinki was used as the guidelines.

The group of 24 people was divided into two.

The first group was given the CBD inhaler, whereas the second group was made to think that they were given CBD, like a placebo effect.

The Effect of Cannabidiol On People

In this test, the participants from the first group were given metered doses of Cannabidiol through an inhaler. The second group was also granted the same dosage of an inhaler without CBD.

These participants were instructed to use the inhaler whenever they felt like having a cigarette. They were also asked to note the event in a diary and send a text message whenever they had an inhaler. This made record keeping easy.

Each dose had administered a dosage of 400 micro-grams CBD dissolved in absolute ethanol ≈5%, and the placebo group was given just ethanol without CBD.

Dependence was assessed with the 4-item severity of the dependence scale (SDS). 

Trait anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Trait impulsivity was assessed using the Behavior Impulsivity Scale. They were also asked on a scale of 1-100 on how much they were craving for tobacco.

The results achieved through this study did not affect the group going through the placebo effect.

But the group that consumed CBD had decreased craving by more than 50% and were less likely to smoke tobacco.

It is the first such study that indicates CBD as the best source for reducing smoking tobacco.

Preliminary data suggest that the effect of CBD is excellent for tobacco smokers, and larger-scale studies have started to see how much can CBD helps in other areas as well.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23685330/

Download Citation: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236919748_Cannabidiol_reduces_cigarette_consumption_in_tobacco_smokers_Preliminary_findings

Here are 10 innovative technologies that are changing the hemp industry and the larger world.

Cultivation and Manufacturing Machinery

Within the hemp industry, technology is having a significant impact on cultivation and manufacturing. From artificial intelligence used to grow hemp and new machinery used to harvest it, innovative technology is helping farmers and processors boost production and lower costs.

For example, Canadian Greenfield Technologies Corp. developed machinery for hemp manufacturing that processes raw hemp and separates it into hemp fibers, leaves, and hurds, which are then used to manufacture a wide variety of hemp products for commercial sale.

Another example is PureHemp Technology, which patented its Continuous Countercurrent Reactor (CCR) technology to convert raw hemp into pulp, lignin, sugars, flowers, and seed oil. These components can then be used to manufacture finished hemp-based products. When PureHemp Technology began operations, it could process 1,200 pounds of dry, raw hemp per day. Thanks to its technological innovations, the company can now process four tons per day and expects to process more than 40 tons per day by 2021.

Fuel

Did you know that hemp can be used as a raw material for biofuels as cellulosic ethanol? Unlike corn-based ethanol, which researchers have found to be nearly as bad for the environment as fossil fuels, cellulosic ethanol is a lot closer to carbon-neutral, meaning it has a carbon footprint of closer to zero than corn-based ethanol. In addition, as a biofuel, hemp is more sustainable than fossil fuels and could be used for electricity and to power cars.

Companies are taking notice of hemp’s potential as a biofuel. In 2014, Extreme Biodiesel received a $5 million line of credit to grow hemp. The company also operates a mobile hemp biodiesel unit through its subsidiary, XTRM Cannabis Ventures, which can move to different sites as needed.

Plastic

Hemp can be used to make all kinds of plastics, which are just as durable and lightweight as traditional plastic but the hemp material is far more environmentally friendly. Plastic made from hemp can be used just like traditional plastic. It can be molded and 3D printed, and it’s biodegradable.

Zeoform is a material that uses industrial hemp along with other recycled fibers to make a type of plastic that is 100% recyclable. Zeoform can be molded as needed to replace traditional plastic, wood, or composite material.

Paper

It takes 20-80 years for each tree cut down to make paper to be replaced with a new tree that has grown to maturity. It only takes hemp stalks four months to grow. The world produces around 400 million tons of paper every year, and it takes an average of 17 trees to produce one ton of paper (the number varies from 12 for newsprint to 24 for white office paper). That means six billion, eight hundred million trees are cut down to produce paper every year.

Unlike trees, hemp grows quickly and is easily replanted. Over a 20 year period, one acre of hemp can produce as much paper as four to 10 acres of trees. Companies like TreeFreeHemp (part of the Colorado Hemp Company) in Colorado and Green Field Paper Company of California sell paper made from hemp using as many locally-sourced materials as possible.

Supercapacitors and Batteries

In 2014, engineering professor David Mitlin of Clarkson University learned how to turn hemp fibers into carbon nanosheets, which could be used as electrodes for supercapacitors. The nanosheets resemble the structure of graphene, a semi-metal commonly used to make nanosheets and the strongest metal ever tested.

Mitlin’s carbon nanosheets actually store energy better than graphene and can be used for supercapacitors and batteries. While traditional graphene costs $2,000 per gram, the graphene-like hemp costs only $500 per ton. Ultimately, these nanosheets could be used to power houses, cars, and more.

Building Materials

Technological innovations have brought us building materials manufactured with hemp. For example, hempcrete is a type of concrete made with hemp and lime. It’s carbon negative and stronger than traditional concrete but just one-seventh the weight. It’s also resistant to cracks, fire, mold, and termites and offers highly efficient insulation which can reduce energy costs by up to 70% annually.

While hempcrete has been in use since the 1960s, it’s only just gaining popularity in the United States. Companies like Tiny Hemp Houses in Colorado are already gaining traction helping people build all-natural homes from hempcrete.

Furniture

Technology is also being used to process hemp into materials that can be used to make furniture. The patented Zeoform can be used for plastics as discussed in #3 above, and it can be used to make furniture like tables and chairs. Zeoform can be molded and coated in a variety of finishes making it an excellent replacement for wood.

Even designers are getting involved in taking hemp technology to the next level. Furniture designer Werner Aisslinger partnered with BASF Acrodur (a division of BASF) to design and manufacture a hemp chair using BASF Acrodur’s ecotechnology.

Clothes

Hemp can be used not just to make fabric but to make bacteria-fighting fabric. Scientists in China developed a blend of hemp fibers in the 1990s with a high resistance to staph bacteria. Since staph infections are so common and can be deadly for some patients, this type of technological innovation is extremely important to the healthcare industry.

Colorado’s EnviroTextiles manufactures a hemp-rayon fabric blend that research studies have found to be 98.5% staph resistant. The fabric is also 61.5% pneumonia-free. But that’s not all! It’s also resistant to UV and infrared wavelengths.

Cars

For years, scientists have been researching ways to develop materials from hemp that can replace both the plastic and metal components of cars. They’ve discovered that hemp fibers, which have a higher strength to weight ratio than steel and are significantly less expensive, are the solution.

Hemp-based materials are also biodegradable, and they typically weigh 30% less than materials currently used in car manufacturing. That means cars made with hemp-based materials will see a sizeable increase in fuel efficiency compared to cars made with plastics and metals. Considering that hemp fibers are less expensive to manufacture than metals and plastics, it’s not surprising that companies like Diamler/Chrysler, BMW, and Audi Volkswagen are already using hemp materials in their cars.

However, it’s not just the big car companies that are using hemp. After entrepreneur Bruce Michael Dietzen built his own hemp car (like Henry Ford did in 1941), he started a company, Renew Sports Cars, which builds custom hemp bodied sports cars.

Household Goods

Hemp technology can be found in a wide variety of household goods. Aside from foods and essential oils, consumers can also find hemp water filters, glasses, pens, and more. In fact, a quick Google search reveals far more products than you probably thought could be made from hemp.

What’s Next for Innovative Technologies in the Hemp Industry?

Companies continue to push boundaries to develop new technologies that will drive the hemp industry forward. With a goal to expand uses of hemp, develop new methods for hemp cultivation and processing, and launch new hemp products – and doing so faster, cheaper, and with higher quality – it’s certain we’ll see many innovative hemp technologies in the future. The hard part is waiting to see what comes next!

What’s the most innovative technology you’ve seen in the hemp industry? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Some research suggests that cannabis might be bad for adolescent brain and adult brains, but is the research substantiated? Has the research created a consensus in the scientific community about the affects of marijuana on the mind?

Is it true? No.

If that was the case, most of you reading this would probably be drooling vegetables by now.

The human-vegetable example may not work on relatives, supervisors, or college professors who view your intellect with gross disdain simply because you puff on occasion (or all day, every day).

Thankfully, we got some real, solid science you can cite next time your marriage to mary jane is called into question by some strait-laced square.

History Time: The Bogus Rhesus Monkey Experiment

The brain-damage thing gained traction in the ’70s after President Richard Nixon – determined to crush the herb-loving, anti-war Black Power Movement and its white hippie allies – rigged federal research to show, with ‘scientific evidence,’ that smoking weed kills brain cells.

To do this, the Nixon administration convinced psychiatrist Robert G. Heath to conduct the infamous rhesus monkey experiment. In the so-called study, Heath took a bunch of monkeys, strapped gas masks to their faces, and then pumped so much marijuana smoke into the masks that asphyxiation and carbon monoxide poisoning caused the monkeys’ brain cells to die.

At the time, only the study’s results were released to the public.

How Heath manipulated the experiment to please President Tricky Dick was kept secret until 1980, when Playboy and NORML got a hold of the full rhesus monkey study report. (By the way, no self-respecting scientist ever keeps their experimental methods a secret.)

Nixon’s shiny new National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) spent years using Heath’s fabricated study to promote the idea that smoking weed killed brain cells, a myth that hit its zenith in the 1980s during Nancy Reagan’s ridiculous “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign.

Today, we should just say no to the silly notion that weed kills brain cells. For starters, there are way too many hyper-intelligent people who’ve admitted to regularly smoking cannabis.

Examples: if weed killed brain cells, then how did astronomer Carl Sagan receive the Public Welfare Medal in 1994, the National Academy of Sciences’ version of the Oscar? Or how did author Maya Angelou win a Pulitzer, a Tony, and three Grammys in her lifetime? And how did Snoop Dogg come up with all those velvety smooth rhymes?

What the Science Really Says

First, let’s take a moment to address the notion that marijuana use leads to lower IQ. This idea came from a research paper which looked at data from a longitudinal study done on 1000 people from Dunedin, New Zealand. The study followed subjects from age 13 to 38 and conducted IQ tests a both these ages. The findings revealed that people who were chronic users of marijuana, which are those that had a physical dependence to the drug, before the age of 18 had a drop in IQ of 8 points by the age of 38.

There are three important things to note about this study. First, the people who were shown to have a decline in IQ are significantly small – 38 out of 1000, or 3.8 percent. Second, these individuals were using significantly more marijuana (four days per week) than the average marijuana user. Finally, they were using more marijuana consistently for much longer (20 years) than the average marijuana user.

Moreover, follow up studies of this data have shown that differences in socioeconomic status may account for the differences in IQ found in the study, not to mention the discussion surrounding IQ as a valid measurement of brain function and intelligence which are beyond the scope of this response.

In terms of marijuana and its effects on brain cells, or neurons, there is little evidence to suggest that any of the active ingredients in the marijuana plant administered at doses appropriate for human consumption have neurotoxic effects.

This is in direct contrast to alcohol, where the body’s digestive process creates metabolites such as acetaldehyde and other “reactive oxygen species” which are toxic to the brain and other cells in the body. This is why you have a hangover, after drinking large quantities of alcohol.

The active ingredients in the marijuana plant, called phytocannabinoids, affect specific receptors within the body. In fact, the body produces its own set of cannabinoids called endocannabinoids and has an endocannabinoid system which regulates the activity of all cannabinoids in the body.

There are two types of receptors within the endocannabinoid system CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are located primarily in the brain and nervous system, while CB2 receptors are located primarily in the immune system.

The fact that these receptors are located all over the body is part of the reason why marijuana has been found to be useful for so many different medical conditions.

Specifically in the case of seizures, there is preliminary research which shows that the cannabinoid, cannabidiol or CBD, raises the threshold for seizure activity within the brain making it overall more difficult to have seizures, and thus providing hope to many parents of children with intractable seizure disorders. There is also some preliminary research which show that other cannabinoids within the plant actually protect brain cells from damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease. However, much more research needs to be done in order to make definitive claims on the medical benefits.

The evidence at this point indicates that marijuana does more good than harm when it comes to its effects on the adult brain.

In 2016, Duke University conducted one of the many studies showing that cannabis use doesn’t harm the brain. The researchers followed identical twins — who are essentially genetic clones of each other — for 10 years. Among each twin pairing, one smoked weed and the other never touched the stuff. No differences were found between their neurocognitive functioning, even after one twin spent a decade blazin’.

But the Duke study only looked at outward, observable behaviors between the twins. How does a toker’s actual brain look compared to a non-toker’s?

In 2015, scientists at the University of Colorado-Boulder used high resolution MRI scans to compare the brain volumes, shapes, and structures of weed smokers and non-smokers. Guess what the researchers found? No differences between the brains. Zilch. Nada. Pot-laden brains looked just like the straight-edge ones.

So what can we draw from these two studies? Weed doesn’t appear to kill brain cells, but it also doesn’t make anyone smarter, either.

But What About All Those IQ Studies?

The prohibitionists’ favorite ‘stupid-pothead’ argument is that cannabis use lowers IQ scores. But first, a word on IQ, otherwise known as the “intelligence quotient.”

IQ only measures a specific kind of intelligence, namely, one’s ability to detect and exploit patterns within the narrow scope of word games and 3D mind puzzles. IQ can reasonably predict an individual’s success in certain fields, like science, business, or computers, but that’s pretty much it.

Over the years, psychologists and neuroscientists have determined there are several types of intelligence: star athletes demonstrate kinesthetic intelligence, artists exhibit aesthetic intelligence, musicians play off their own kind of smarts, and so on and so forth. Today’s IQ tests are useless for predicting anything in these other important disciplines.

Furthermore, the inventor of the IQ test, French psychologist Alfred Binet, never intended his test to serve as a measuring stick for someone’s higher intellectual capacities. He used it as a tool to help him diagnose mental dysfunction in his child patients.

Here’s what Binet had to say about his own test: “The scale, properly speaking, does not permit the measure of the intelligence, because intellectual qualities are not superposable, and therefore cannot be measured as linear surfaces are measured.”

In other words, human intelligence can’t be reduced to a single number because it’s too complex.

Anyway, you came here for scientific ammo. In 2018, researchers at the University of Arizona looked at 1,989 twins in England and Wales. Like the Duke University study above, they found no IQ differences between the twins when one smoked weed and the other didn’t.

Commenting on the Arizona study, drug researcher Ian Hamilton at York University told the Daily Mail that low-IQ teens are more likely to smoke weed because it stimulates their minds, which may explain why some psychologists notice lower IQ scores with tokers.

Regardless, the science certainly says smoking weed will screw with our short-term memories, as anyone who’s hit a bowl and then spent an hour looking for their car keys (which was in their hand the entire time) can attest to. But that’s about it.

Does it really matter if you can remember LeBron James’ NBA stats from the 2003-2004 season? No, it doesn’t, especially when weed can help any culdesac baller become a better player.

Just remember to consume responsibly, and your body — and your brain — will thank you for it later.

Some of the common names used by our smokers who enjoys the blessing of this miracle plant. But just how much do you know about the wacky weed and its odd effects? How exactly does marijuana provide its high, and who discovered the effects of smoking the plant in the first place? Read on for some of the stranger facts about cannabis consumption.

Mythical origins

The hippie generation did not discover pot. But the drug’s true origins remain a bit murky.

For example, one source, the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum in Arlington, Virginia, states that the oldest written references to cannabis date back to 2727 B.C., when the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung supposedly discovered the substance and used it medicinally.

But there’s one problem with this putative fact: Shen Nung, if he existed, was not the emperor of China. The first emperor of a unified China was Qin Shi Huang, who was born around 260 B.C. — significantly later than the supposed Shen Nung. Nor is it entirely clear where or how this Shen Nung recorded his medicinal marijuana experiments. The earliest examples of written Chinese characters date to the Shang dynasty, between 1200 B.C. and 1050 B.C., when oracles carved symbols on bones and turtle shells. Though the story of Shen Nung permeates pot histories online, his existence seems to be more marijuana myth than fact.

Still, the Chinese deserve some credit. The ancient Taiwanese were using hemp fibers to decorate pottery about 10,000 years ago, according to “The Archaeology of Ancient China” (Yale University Press, 1968). But the identity of the first person to discover pot’s intoxicating effects is lost to prehistory.

Weird ways to use hemp

The marijuana plant isn’t used only for smoking; its fibers can also be made into rope or fabric. Perhaps the oddest use of hemp rope on record is as a method for transporting giant stone statues. In 2012, archaeologists created reproductions of Easter Island’s statues, trying to figure out how ancient people may have moved the iconic 9,600-lb. (4.35 metric tons) heads from their quarry.

Theorists have suggested everything from log rollers to extraterrestrial help for the task, but in 2012, California State University Long Beach archaeologist Carl Lipo proved that all that was needed is hemp rope. By attaching three hemp ropes to the statue and having a team of 18 people rock it back and forth until it “walked,” Lipo and his team were able to move the hunk of stone 328 feet (100 meters) in less than an hour, they reported in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Easter Islanders would have had woody shrubs similar to marijuana plants to use in making rope, the researchers argued.

Hemp versus pot

What’s the difference between hemp and pot, anyway? A single genetic switch. In 2011, researchers from the University of Saskatchewan announced that they’d discovered the genetic alteration that allows psychoactive cannabis plants (Cannabis sativa) to give users a high (as compared to industrial hemp plants, which are no fun for smoking).
Industrial hemp plants are the same species as marijuana plants, but they don’t produce a substance called tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA).

This is the precursor to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in pot. Hemp plants fail to produce this substance because they lack a gene that makes an enzyme to produce THCA, according to University of Saskatchewan biochemist Jon Page.
In contrast, marijuana plants do produce THCA but don’t create much of a substance called cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), which occurs in abundance in hemp but competes with THCA for raw materials. Thus, hemp is rich in nonpsychoactive CBDA, while marijuana is chock full of mind-bending THC.

Gender-bender

Smoking up could be a very different experience for men and women, according to a 2014 study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. In research on rats, Washington State University psychologist Rebecca Craft found that females were more sensitive to cannabis’ painkilling qualities, but they were also more likely to develop a tolerance for the drug, which could contribute to negative side effects and dependence on marijuana.

The female rats’ higher levels of the hormone estrogen seem to play a role in these sex-specific effects. Female rats are more sensitive to the effects of cannabis at ovulation, when estrogen levels are highest, Craft said in a statement.

Pot for your pets?

People have used medicinal marijuana to ease everything from glaucoma to the side effects of chemotherapy. So why shouldn’t man’s best friend give medicinal pot a shot?

Pet owners are already using marijuana medicinally to help their suffering cats and dogs, according to a 2013 article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Most of the time, animals that ingest pot get over the effects within a few hours, veterinarians say. But in large quantities, pot can be deadly to animals.

Does your heart hate pot?

Most of the debate about the health effects of marijuana centers on the brain changes that may come with using the drug, such as the drug’s association with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. But could smoking a bowl mess with your heart, too?

In an April 2014 study, researchers combed through 2,000 cases of medical complications from marijuana in France and found that 2 percent involved heart problems, including nine fatal heart attacks. The study wasn’t designed to determine why pot use might occasionally lead to heart problems, but previous research has found that marijuana can increase heart rate and blood pressure, which could tip a vulnerable individual over into heart attack territory. “The perception is that marijuana is a magical drug, that it’s totally safe, and we can use it in medical treatment. What we don’t know about are the negative effects, the potential harms,” Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who was not involved in the study, told Live Science at the time.

Naming traditions

A wine lover might choose between a pinot noir, a sangiovese and a viognier to go with dinner. A pot connoisseur, on the other hand, could choose between strains with names like “purple haze,” “chocolope” and “green crack.”

Bizarre names are a time-honored tradition among pot growers, going back at least to the 1970s, when strains such as “Maui Waui” (from Hawaii, naturally) came onto the scene. Why such goofy names? Well, one reason might be the process behind the naming decisions.

“So many times, we’ve finally got to the end of a strain, and we have it right there and it’s done, and we’re like, ‘What do we call it?'” one of the co-owners of Amsterdam’s DNA Genetics, a cannabis seed bank, told the LA Times in July 2014. “And we sit there, and we call all our friends and smoke. That’s a brainstorm session.”

It’s in the air

There are certain places where a haze of pot smoke is to be expected: Grateful Dead concerts, for example, or marijuana legalization rallies. But on the streets of Rome?

Yes, according to a 2012 study done in Italy, trace amounts of marijuana are wafting through the air around the Colosseum and the Pantheon, as well as in seven other Italian cities. Researchers examined the air of Rome, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Turin and Verona for psychotropic substances, including cocaine, marijuana, nicotine and caffeine. The scientists found all of these substances in all eight cities, with Turin having the highest total concentrations and Florence and Bologna having the highest concentrations of pot. But even in Florence and Bologna, tourists don’t need to worry about a contact high while taking in the sights. The levels of marijuana and other substances were far too low to affect human health — but researchers said they hope the findings can inform drug policy by helping to estimate drug consumption in each city.

Baby soap oops!

In an unusual case, a hospital in North Carolina noticed an uptick in the number of newborns who were testing positive for marijuana in their urine, a finding that can suggest that mom has been smoking and can lead to social services getting involved. But it turns out that these babies weren’t suffering from pot exposure. They were just soapy.

An investigation of the positive tests found that ingredients in several common baby soaps can cause a false positive on marijuana urine tests, researchers reported in 2012. The soaps, including formulas from Johnson & Johnson, CVS and Aveeno, don’t contain pot, nor do the get infants high. A more sensitive test can show that the initial screening results were false positives, researchers reported in the journal Clinical Biochemistry.

Pot isn’t necessarily green

Here’s a bummer for the eco-conscious: Pot isn’t all that “green.” The energy needed to produce 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of marijuana indoors is equivalent to that needed to drive across the country five times in a car that gets 44 miles to the gallon, according to a 2011 report by a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. All those grow lights suck up a lot of electricity.

Growing plants outdoors could lessen marijuana’s carbon footprint, but year-round demand for the drug means that industrial growers keep their plants in warehouses and greenhouses. Innovations such as greenhouses equipped with low-energy LED lights could help make pot greener, but like any large-scale agriculture, marijuana growing will require large-scale energy.

Pot is getting stronger

Marijuana’s high is getting increasingly higher. In 2016, researchers measured the levels of marijuana’s active ingredient, THC, in more than 38,600 samples of street marijuana seized by the Drug Enforcement Agency over 20 years. They found that the levels of THC rose from about 4 percent in 1995 to about 12 percent in 2014.

Meanwhile, levels of the non-psychoactive compound cannabidiol fell from 0.28 percent in 2001 to 0.15 percent in 2014, the researchers reported in the journal Biological Psychiatry. As a result, THC levels were 14 times the level of cannabidiol in 1995; in 2014, that ratio had grown to 80.

THC intensifies the effects of marijuana, the researchers said, so higher THC versions of the drug may raise the risk of nasty side effects, like panic or anxiety. More THC also means pricier pot, which is one reason growers have been cultivating higher octane strains.

Controversy over cardiac deaths

It’s not possible to overdose on marijuana like you can on heroin or cocaine. But in 2014, German researchers caused a controversy when they linked the sudden deaths of two men to cardiovascular complications from pot smoking. The cases were unusual. In one, a seemingly healthy 23-year-old man collapsed and died on public transportation with marijuana in his pocket. In the other case, a 28-year-old man was found dead with rolling papers and a plastic baggy of marijuana at his side. Both men were found to have THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in their tissues at a postmortem.

“After exclusion of other causes of death, we assume that the young men died from cardiovascular complications evoked by smoking cannabis,” the researchers wrote.

Responding to the findings, outside researchers said at the time that the conclusions were reasonable, given research on the cardiovascular effects of marijuana. However, the case reports caused intense public controversy and prompted “some quite unpleasant reactions from individuals,” the study researchers told Live Science.

You can be allergic to pot

Aaa-chooo! Like many other plants, marijuana can trigger allergic reactions in people, according to a 2015 review in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Both the plant’s pollen and its smoke can cause allergies in some people, the researchers said. Marijuana allergies are relatively rare, they wrote, but they’re on the rise and have probably been underreported or unnoticed because the drug has long been illegal.

Most of the reported symptoms of pot allergies are similar to those of run-of-the-mill hay fever: itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing, occasional hives. However, there have been a few reported cases of people having anaphylactic reactions to hemp or marijuana. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening response to an allergen that can cause the airways to swell shut.

Is pot addictive? Ask your genes

For a subset of pot users, marijuana becomes a substance of dependence. This means that they experience symptoms of withdrawal, such as irritability and restlessness, when they attempt to stop using the drug. There is academic debate over how many people should be considered dependent on marijuana, but national epidemiological studies put the rate at about 9 percent of users, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Marijuana dependence may have genetic underpinnings. A 2016 study uncovered three genetic variants associated with dependence. One variant is involved in regulating calcium in the blood and has been linked with opioid dependence; another is involved with the growth of the central nervous system, the researchers reported in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The genetic variations were simply associated with dependence, and the study couldn’t prove that having one of these variants caused dependence. Nevertheless, the researchers found that the genetic variations they’d discovered also tend to occur in people with depression, which could explain why dependence and depression often go hand-in-hand.

Pot and Viagra don’t mix

Marijuana compounds can inhibit certain liver enzymes called cytochrome P450 enzymes. What does that mean? Well, for one thing, that Viagra won’t break down as readily in the blood of someone who’s been toking up.

Viagra (sildenafil) is broken down by cytochrome P450 enzymes, and as a 2001 study put it, “[t]here is the possibility that elevated plasma concentrations of sildenafil could occur with coadministration of known inhibitors of” these enzymes. This could cause adverse side effects. One 2002 case report in the journal Clinical Cardiology outlined the case of a 41-year-old man who experienced a heart attack after mixing marijuana and Viagra the night before. Though the doctors couldn’t prove that a drug interaction caused the heart attack, they warned other physicians to consider the enzyme-inhibiting side effects of pot when they prescribe Viagra.

Back to the Future

In many ways, the move toward legalization of marijuana, particularly medical marijuana, is a return to the status quo … the very long-ago status quo. In America, before the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, cannabis was a common ingredient in medicinal tinctures, and sellers didn’t even have to mention it on their labels.

During the 1920s and 1930s, though, Mexican immigration to the United States spiked as a result of the Mexican Revolution, according to PBS Frontline. People moving from Mexico brought along the custom of using marijuana recreationally, and the drug became linked with public fears of the newcomers. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal government waffled on making marijuana illegal even as states enacted their own laws — a strange mirror image of the legalization process going on today. Nevertheless, Federal Bureau of Narcotics Commissioner Harry Anslinger campaigned to quash recreational marijuana, an effort that led to the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. This law allowed for the importation of marijuana, but heavily taxed it, making it too expensive for recreational use.

Bad trip

It’s well-known that pot can sometimes cause paranoia. But in 2011, doctors reported another possible negative side effect of marijuana: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Here’s a hint as to what that might be — “emesis” is the Latin for “vomiting.”

Yes, marijuana use can sometimes lead to episodes of uncontrollable vomiting. The cycle usually has three phases, researchers wrote in the journal Current Drug Abuse Reviews. First, patients (usually chronic marijuana users) develop morning nausea and general abdominal discomfort. But they often increase their marijuana use, hoping for the drug’s anti-nausea effects to kick in. Then comes the hyperemesis part. Patients vomit repeatedly, up to five times an hour, for one or two days. The only help is hot showers. It can take days, weeks or even months before the patients recover and get back to normal. Stopping cannabis use can prevent relapse.

But cannabinoid hyperemesis remains otherwise largely mysterious. There’s no data on how many people experience it, or why it seems to be a small proportion of pot users, the researchers wrote. There’s also no explanation of why marijuana, known for its anti-emetic properties, should have the opposite effect in some people. THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has an anti-nausea effect on the central nervous system, the researchers wrote. However, some cannabinoid compounds slow the gut, preventing it from emptying as quickly in the usual way. For some people, this slowdown might override the anti-emetic effect of THC and cause vomiting, the researchers speculated.

Drug bust record

The Guinness Book of World Records apparently does not keep any records for the amounts of marijuana grown, smoked or otherwise consumed. But the drug does show up in the record books. The “bulkiest drug seizure” of marijuana ever was 2,903 metric tons, or 6.4 million pounds, that came from a Colombian drug operation. That was one-fifth of the entire illegal import of marijuana into the United States per year at the time, according to a 1982 New York Times article.

This seizure, code-named “Operation Tiburon,” also led to the arrests of 495 people and the seizure of 95 boats thought to be used in drug smuggling. 

Did the Bard toke?

Maybe you’ve heard that we owe Hamlet and King Lear to a stoner. In 2001, an anthropologist reported that he’d discovered marijuana residue on the fragments of a pipe found in William Shakespeare’s garden in England. Combining that discovery with an aside about a “noted weed” in the playwright’s Sonnet 76, the anthropologist asked for permission to open Shakespeare’s grave in 2011 and search for signs of cannabis in any hair or fingernails.

That never happened, though a ground-penetrating radar survey in 2016 revealed that Shakespeare’s corpse probably doesn’t have any hair anyway — his skull is most likely missing.

First transcontinental marijuana trade

The world’s first-known pot dealers were the nomads of the Eastern European Steppe, according to a 2016 study. The Yamnaya, traders from what is now Russia and Ukraine, may have traded cannabisthroughout Europe and East Asia around 5,000 years ago, the researchers found. The plant itself was in use in both Europe and Asia at least 10,200 years ago and grew naturally across both continents.

But the archaeological record shows a spike in cannabis use in East Asia around 5,000 years ago, right around the time when the nomadic Yamnaya established a trade route across the steppes. Yamnaya sites show signs of cannabis burning, suggesting they may have brought the habit of smoking marijuana with them as they moved about.

Warning!

This writer, responsible scientists and doctors advise:

There is no pharmacological free lunch in cannabis or any drug. Negative reactions can result. A small percentage of people have negative or allergic reactions to marijuana. Heart patients could have problems, even though cannabis generally relieves stress, dilates arteries, and in general lowers the diastolic pressure. A small percentage of people get especially high heart rates and anxieties with cannabis. These persons should not use it. Some bronchial asthma sufferers benefit from cannabis; however, for others it may serve as an additional irritant.

There are more than 60 therapeutic compounds in cannabis that are healing agents in medical and herbal treatments. The primary one is THC, and the effectiveness of therapy is directly proportionate to the herb’s potency or concentration of THC. Recent DEA reports of increasingly potent marijuana there represent a major medical advance; but, incredibly, the government uses these very numbers to solicit bigger budgets and harsher penalties.

On November 5, 1996, 56% of California citizens voted for the California Compassionate Use Act (medical marijuana initiative) ending all legal state efforts to keep marijuana from being used as medicine by California citizens.

Arizona citizens, in November 1996, also passed, by an even greater margin – 65% – a drug declassification initiative that included medical marijuana, backed by among others, the late U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.

Arizona’s governor and legislative, exercising their veto override ability on their state initiative laws for the first time in 90 years, struck down this popular initiative passed by the people Arizona citizens angrily responded by re-collecting more than 150,000 signatures in a 90-day referendum period and promptly returned the medical marijuana initiative to the ballot for November 1998. The following explains how people will benefit when the freedom of choice of doctors and patients is once again respected.

For the overwhelming majority of people, cannabis has been demonstrated literally hundreds of therapeutic uses. Among them:

Asthma

More than 15 million Americans are affected by asthma. Smoking cannabis (the “raw drug” as the AMA called it) would beneficial for 80% of them and add 30-60 million person-years in the aggregate of extended life to current asthmatics over presently legal toxic medicines such as the Theophylline prescribed to children. “Taking a hit of marijuana has been known to stop a full blown asthma attack.” (Personal communication with Dr. Donald Tashkin, December 12, 1989 and December 1, 1997.)

The use of cannabis for asthmatics goes back thousands of years in literature. American doctors of the last century wrote glowing reports in medical papers that asthma sufferers of the world would “bless” Indian hemp (cannabis) all their lives.

Glaucoma

Fourteen percent of all blindness in America is from glaucoma, a progressive loss of vision. Cannabis smoking would benefits 90% of the 2.5 million glaucoma victims, and is two to three times as effective as any current medicines for reducing ocular pressure!  Cannabis use has no toxic side effects to the liver and kidneys; nor is there any danger of occasional sudden death syndromes associated with the legal pharmaceutical glaucoma drugs/drops.

Many California eye doctors, through the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, discreetly advised their patients to use “street” marijuana in addition to (or to mitigate) their toxic legal glaucoma medicines. Since November 1996, California doctor can legally recommend, advise or tacitly approve cannabis use by their glaucoma patients who may then grow and smoke their own marijuana, or go to the few remaining Cannabis Buyer’s Clubs to acquire medical marijuana. (Harvard; Hepler & Frank, 1971, UCLA; Medical College of Georgia; U. of Northern Carolina School of Medicine, 1975; Cohen & Stillman, Therapeutic Potential of Marijuana, UCLA, 1976; National Eye Institute; Records of Bob Randolph/Evy Musika, 1975, 1998.)

Tumors

A tumor is a mass swollen tissue. Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia discovered that cannabis is an incredibly successful herb for reducing many types of tumors, both benign and malignant (cancerous). The DEA and other federal agencies had ordered these tumor studies done after hearing erroneous reports of possible immunicological problems associated with cannabis smoke.

But, in 1975, instead of health problems, an apparent medical breakthrough occurred and successful tumor reductions were recorded. Following this remarkably positive discovery by the Medical College of Virginia, orders were immediately handed down by the DE and the National Institute of Health to defund all further cannabis/tumor research and reporting. Millions of Americans who might be alive today are dead because of these and other DEA orders regarding marijuana. Since 1996, the Medical College of Virginia has again applied to receive grants for cannabis research and has been turned down by the DEA.

NAUSEA RELIEF (e.g., AIDS, CANCER THERAPY, SEA SICKNESS)

Though it is known to be extremely damaging to immune system, chemotherapy is claimed by practitioners to benefit cancer and AIDS patients. But chemo has some other serious side effects too, including nausea. “Marijuana is the best agent for control of nausea in cancer chemotherapy,” according to Dr. Thomas Ungerleider, who headed California’s marijuana for Cancer research program from 1979 to 1984. This is also true in AIDS and even in the unsettled stomach common in motion sickness.

Pharmaceutical nausea control drugs comes in pills that are often swallowed by the patient, only to be thrown back up. Because cannabis can be ingested as smoke, it stays in the system and keeps working even if vomiting continues. Throughout the state’s 10-year Compassionate Marijuana Medical law, George Deukmejian, both as attorney general and as governor, with no regard for the suffering or dying cancer patients, made it virtually impossible for them to get cannabis. California Governor Pete Wilson was following the same course until the medical marijuana initiative passed in November 1996.

EPILEPSY, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, BACK PAIN, MUSCLE SPASMS

Cannabis is beneficial for 60% of all epileptics. It is definitely the best treatment for many, but not all types of epilepsy, and for victim’s post-seizure mental traumas. Cannabis extract is more effective than Dilantin (a commonly prescribed anti-epileptic with severe side effects). Medical World News reported in 1971: “Marijuana is probably the most potent anti-epileptic know to medicine today.” (Mikuriya, Tod H., M.D., Marijuana Medical Papers, 1839-1972, page xxii.) Cannabis users’ epileptic seizures are of less intensity than the more dangerous seizures experienced by users of pharmaceuticals. Similarly, smoking cannabis has proven to be a major source of relief for multiple sclerosis, which affects the nervous system and is characterized by muscular weakness, tremors, etc.

Aside from addictive morphine, cannabis, whether smoked or supplied as an herbal pack or poultice, is also the best muscle relaxant, back spasm medicine and general antispasmodic medication on our planet. In September 1993, in Santa Cruz County, California, Sheriffs rearrested epileptic Valerie Corral and confiscated the five marijuana plants she was growing for medicine even though 77% of the citizens of Santa Cruz voted in November 1992 to instruct local law enforcement not to prosecute medical marijuana users. Charges against Corral have been dropped earlier in March 1993 because she was the first person in California to meet all six points of a medical necessity defense. In 1997, Valerie, who runs a compassionate use club, was names Citizen of the year in Santa Cruz.

ANTIBIOTIC CBD DISINFECTANTS

Young un-budded hemp plants provide extraction of CBDs (cannabidiol). There are many antibiotic uses of the cannabidiol, including treatment for gonorrhoea. A 1990 Florida study indicated its use in treating herpes. The acid side tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiols occurs inversely to the amount of the plant’s THC and is therefore more acceptable to prohibitionists because “it won’t get you high.”

For virtually any disease or infection that can be treated with terramycin, cannabis derivatives did better in Czechoslovakian studies, 1952-1955. The Czechs in 1997 still published farm crop reports on strategies to grow cannabidiol rich hemp. (Also see Cohen & Stillman, Therapeutic Potential of Marijuana; Mikuriya, Tod H., M.D., Marijuana Medical Papers; Roffman, Marijuana as Medicine, 1982; International Farm Crop abstracts.)

ARTHRITIS, HERPES, CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND RHEUMATISM

Cannabis is a topical analgesic. Until 1937, virtually all corn plasters, mustard plasters, muscle ointments, and fibrosis poultices were made from or with cannabis extracts. Rheumatism was treated throughout South America until 1960s with hemp leaves and/or flower tops heated in water or alcohol and placed on painful joints.

In facts, this form of herbal medicine is still widely used in rural areas of Mexico, Central and South America, and by California Latinos for relief of rheumatism and arthritis pain. Direct contact with THC killed herpes virus in a University of South Florida (Tampa) 1990 research study by DR. Gerald Lancz, who warns that “Smoking Marijuana will cure herpes.” However, anecdotal reports indicate a faster drying and healing of outbreak after topical application of “strong bud,” soaked in rubbing alcohol and crushed into a paste.

LUNG CLEANER AND EXPECTORANT

Cannabis is the best natural expectorant to clear the human lungs smog, dust and the phlegm associated with tobacco use. Marijuana smoke effectively dilates the airways of the lungs, the bronchi, opening them to allow more oxygen into lungs. It is also the best natural dilator of the tiny airways of the lungs, the bronchial tubes – making cannabis the best overall bronchial dilator for 80% of the population (the remaining 20% sometimes show minor negative reactions). (See section on asthma – a disease that closes these passages in spasms – UCLA Tashkin studies, 1969-97; U.S. Costa Rican, 1980-82; Jamaican studies 1969-74, 76.) Statistical evidence – showing up consistently as anomalies in matched populations – indicates that people who smoke tobacco cigarettes are usually better of and will live longer if they smoke cannabis moderately, too. (Jamaican, Costa Rican studies.)

SLEEP AND RELAXATION

Cannabis lower blood pressure, dilates the arteries and reduce body temperature an average of one-half degree, thereby relieving stress. Evening cannabis smokers in general report more restful sleep. Using cannabis allows most people a more complete rest with higher amount of “alpha time” during sleep as compared with prescription or sleep-inducing patent sedatives.

Prescription sleeping pills are often synthesized analogs of truly dangerous plants like mandrake, henbane and belladonna. As late as 1991, doctors, pharmacists and drug companies were fighting off new legislation to restrict these often abused compounds. (L.A. Times, April 2, 1991). Unlike Valium, cannabis does not potentiate the effects of alocohol. It is estimated that cannabis could replace more than 50% of Valium, Librium, Thorazine, Stelazine, other “-zine” drugs and most sleeping pills.

STRESS AND MIGRAINE HEADACHE RELIEF

Most of all: it is best for the world’s number one killer – stress. It can safely curtail or replace Valium, Librium, alcohol, or even Prozac. While cannabis intoxication varies with psychological set and social setting, “the most common response is a calm, mildly euphoric state in which time slows and

sensitivity to sights, sounds and touch is enhanced.” In contrast to marijuana’s safe, therapeutic action, benzodiazepine (Valium) abuse is the number one drug abuse in America, and is responsible formkore emergency room admissions in the United States than either cocaine-related problems or morphine and heroin-related admission combined.

While tobacco constricts arteries, cannabis dilates (opens) them. Because migraine headaches are the result of artery spasms combined with over-relaxation of veins, the vascular changes cannabis causes in the covering of the brain (the meninges) usually make migraines disappear. Evidence of vascular change by cannabis can be seen in the user’s red eyes, which are extension of the brain. However, unlike most other drugs, cannabis has no apparent effect on the vascular system in general, except for a slightly increased heart rate during the onset of the high.

TO INCREASE APPETITE

Users of marijuana often (but not always) experience “the munchies,” a stimulated appetite for food, which at this time makes cannabis the very best medicine on the planet for anorexia. This effect can also extend the lives of AIDS and pancreatic cancer patients.

TO REDUCE SALIVA

Marijuana smoking can help dry your mouth for the dentist. This is the best way to dry the mouth’s saliva non-toxically in what is known among smokers as its “cotton mouth” effect. According to the Canadian Board of Dentistry in studies in the 1970s, cannabis could replace the highly toxic Probathine compounds produced by Searle & Co. This may also indicate that cannabis could be good for treating peptic ulcers.

Explaining things in my country (India), in layman terms is interesting.  Sometimes you end up with shock and awe, sometimes with complete denial or ignorance. But we are not here for shock & awe and complete denial or ignorance.

In short, Hemp is a strain of the Cannabis sativa plant and its products. This same species of plant also called Marijuana.

Now the word “cannabis/marijuana” immediately sounds an alarm to our brain. Cannabis? Ganja/Marijuana/Reefer? Drugs? Schedule I?

Is hemp the same thing as marijuana?

Yes and no.

Hemp and marijuana are both names for the cannabis sativa plant, but people usually use these terms to talk about two different varieties of the plant.

There are many different varieties of the cannabis plant. Hemp — also called industrial hemp — refers to the non-psychoactive (less than 1% THC) varieties of Cannabis sativa L. Both hemp and marijuana come from the same cannabis species, but are genetically distinct and are further distinguished by use, chemical makeup, and cultivation methods.Yes and no. Hemp and marijuana are both names for the cannabis sativa plant, but people usually use these terms to talk about two different varieties of the plant.

Is Hemp illegal?

Cannabis sativa is usually illegal, but there are exceptions to that rule for products made from hemp that do not contain THC, like paper and shampoo. Many countries are now legalizing cultivation of hemp for its environmental friendly, health, food, shelter etc.

What Can Hemp Do?

Hemp can be grown as a renewable source for raw materials that can be incorporated into thousands of products. Its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care, and other pharmaceuticals. The fibers and stalks are used in hemp clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel, plastic composites, and more.

Last year, the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) estimated the total retail value of all hemp products sold in the U.S. at $620 million. Sadly, all of the raw hemp materials were imported from other countries.

Hemp is an attractive rotation crop for farmers. As it grows, hemp breathes in CO2, detoxifies the soil, and prevents soil erosion. What’s left after harvest breaks down into the soil, providing valuable nutrients.
Hemp requires much less water to grow — and no pesticides — so it is much more environmentally friendly than traditional crops.

What Can’t Hemp Do?

Hemp can do a lot,but it can’t get you “high.” Because hemp varieties contain virtually zero tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), your body processes it faster than you can smoke it. Trying to use hemp to put you on cloud nine will only put you in bed with a migraine!

Benefits

Many people consider hemp seeds to be a superfood. The seeds have a rich nutritional profile and provide a range of health benefits. Although hemp seeds come from the Cannabis sativa plant, they do not produce a mind-altering effect.

These small, brown seeds are rich in protein, fiber, and healthful fatty acids, including omega-3s and omega-6s. They have antioxidant effects and may reduce symptoms of numerous ailments, improving the health of the heart,skin, and joints.

Nutritional benefits of hemp seeds

These seeds are full of nutritious compounds, including:

Protein

Hemp seeds contain almost as much protein as soybeans. In every 30 grams (g) of seeds, or about a tablespoon, there are 9.46 g of protein. These seeds are a complete source of protein, meaning that they provide all nine essential amino acids. 

Amino acids are the building blocks for all proteins. The body cannot produce nine of these acids, so a person must absorb them through the diet. Relatively few plant-based foods are complete sources of protein, making hemp seeds a valuable addition to a vegetarian or vegan diet.Hemp seeds are especially rich in an amino acid called arginine, which has benefits for heart health.

Unsaturated Fat

The health benefits of polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, are becoming increasingly well known. Hemp seeds are a great source of essential fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is an omega-3.

The body cannot produce essential fatty acids, and the body must absorb them from the diet. They are crucial for long-term health. The ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s is also important. In general, people tend to eat too many omega-6s and too few omega-3s, but adding hemp seeds to the diet may help to promote a balance.

According to results of a 2015 animal study, incorporating hemp seeds and hemp seed oil to hens’ diet led to eggs with increased levels of omega-3s in the yolks and a more healthful omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Also, hemp seeds are low in saturated fats and contain no trans fats.

Fibers

Much of the fiber in a hemp seed lies in its outer hull, or shell. If possible, purchase hemp seeds with the hulls intact.

However, even without the shells, hemp seeds are a god source pf fiber, with three tablespoons containing approximately 1.2 g of fiber. Consuming enough fiber every day can:

• Reduce the appetite
• Help with weight management
• Work to stabilize blood sugar levels
• Promote the health of the gut

Minerals and Vitamins

Hemp seeds contain an impressive array of vitamins and minerals and are especially rich in:

• Vitamin E
• Magnesium
• Phosphorous
• Potassium

They are also good source of iron,zinc and B vitamins, including:

• Niacin
• Riboflavin
• Thiamine
• Vitamin B-6
• Folate

Health benefits of hemp seeds

Alongside the nutritional benefits, some research suggests that hemp seeds have a wide range of positive health effects. They may:

Protect the Brain

A study published in the journal Food Chemistry found that hemp seed extract has antioxidant effects in lab tests. These effects may result from the seeds’ cannabidiol (CBD) content. Results of a review from 2018 suggest that CBD and other compounds in the seeds may have neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, effects and may also help to regulate the immune system.

The review suggests that, because of these potential properties, CBD may help with neurological conditions, including:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neuropathic pain
• Childhood seizure disorder

Boost heart health

The medical community believes that omega-3 fatty acids improve the health of the heart and reduce the risk of issues such as arrhythmia and heart disease. Hemp seeds contain high levels of omega-3s and a healthful ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.

The seeds also contain high levels of arginine, an amino acid that turns into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is essential for artery and vein dilation, and it helps keep blood vessel walls smooth and elastic. Lowering blood pressure, eating a healthful diet, and participating in varied forms of exercise may help to decrease the risk of heart failure.

Reduce Inflammation

The amount of omega-3s in hemp seeds and the seeds’ healthful omega-3 to omega-6 ratio can together help to reduce inflammation. In addition, hemp seeds are a rich source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid which may also have anti-inflammatory effects. Some studies on animals suggest that GLA can act as a potent anti-inflammatory. However, recent studies in humans suggest that the acid is not always effective.

A review in The European Journal of Pharmacology states that humans process GLA in a very complicated way, which may explain why the studies in humans produce more varied results than those on animals. When looking at these studies, it is important to note that researchers usually use high concentrations of hemp seed extracts and that eating the seeds may produce less dramatic effects.

Reducing inflammation may help manage the symptoms of chronic diseases, such as:

• Metabolicsyndrome
• Type 2diabetes
• Arthritis
• Heart disease
• Non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease

Improves skin conditions

Atopic dermatitis (AD) and acne can both result from chronic inflammation. The anti-inflammatory compounds in hemp seeds may help. Among other possible dietary causes, acne may be linked to a deficiency in omega-3s. The high omega-3 content in hemp seeds may help to manage and reduce acne symptoms.

A 2018 review explored the effects of dietary changes on skin diseases. While the researchers found evidence that eating more omega-3s may improve symptoms of acne, determining the extent of the effects will require more research. It is also noted that prebiotics and plant fibers may help to manage symptoms of AD. Hemp seeds are a rich source of plant fiber.

Before the Christian Era

China

Cannabis Sativa (cannabis) is among the earliest plants cultivated by man. The first evidence of the use of cannabis was found in China, where archaeological and historical findings indicate that that plant was cultivated for fibers since 4.000 B.C. With the fibers obtained from the cannabis stems, the Chinese manufactured strings, ropes, textiles, and even paper. Textiles and paper made from cannabis were found in the tomb of Emperor Wu (104-87 B.C.), of the Han dynasty. The Chinese also used cannabis fruits as food. These fruits are small (3 to 5 mm), elliptic, smooth, with a hard shell, and contain one single seed. The first evidence of the use of these seeds was found during the Han dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.). In the beginning of the Christian Era, with the introduction of new cultures, cannabis was no longer an important food in China, although, until today, the seeds are still used for making kitchen oil in Nepal.

The use of cannabis as a medicine by ancient Chinese was reported in the world’s oldest pharmacopoeia, the pen-ts’ao ching which was compiled in the first century of this Era, but based on oral traditions passed down from the time of Emperor Shen-Nung, who lived during the years 2,700 B.C. Indications for the use of cannabis included: rheumatic pain, intestinal constipation, disorders of the female reproductive system, malaria, and others. In the beginning of the Christian Era, Hua T’o, the founder of Chinese surgery (A.D. 110 – 207), used a compound of the plant, taken with wine, to anesthetize patients during surgical operations.

The Chinese used mainly the seeds of cannabis for medical purposes; therefore, it may be assumed that they were referring to that part of the plant when describing its medicinal properties. Until today, cannabis seeds continue to be used as a laxative by Chinese physicians. It is acknowledged that the seeds are practically deficient in D⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (D⁹-THC), which is considered the plant’s main active constituent, and is mainly composed of essential fatty acids and proteins. Today some of these fatty acids are considered as having therapeutic effects, such as the g-linoleic acid, whose topical use is recommended for eczema and psoriasis, and its oral use for atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases. In China, the medical use of cannabis never reached the importance it did in India.

The first reference to the use of cannabis, as a psychoactive drug, is also in the pen-ts’ao ching, as observed in one of its phrases: …ma-fen (the fruit of cannabis)… if taken in excess will produce visions of devils … over a long term, it makes one communicate with spirits and lightens one’s body… In spite of this reference, there are scarce citations of the use of cannabis as a hallucinogen in ancient Chinese texts. One possible explanation is that such use was probably associated to shamanism, a religion of the people from Central Asia. During the Han dynasty, this religious practice started to decline in China, and became disbelieved and increasingly restricted. Ancient texts rarely mentioned shamanism and, thus, there is no reference to the use of cannabis as a hallucinogen. Although shamanism became gradually more restricted in China, it was rather common in the Northern nomadic tribes, which may have contributed to the dissemination of cannabis in Central and Western Asia and in India.

India

In India, the use of cannabis was widely disseminated, both as a medicine and as a recreational drug. Such a broad use may be due to the fact that cannabis maintained a straight association with religion, which assigned sacred virtues to the plant. The Atharva Veda (a collection of sacred texts of unknown author) mentions cannabis as one of five sacred plants, referring to it as a source of happiness, donator of joy and bringer of freedom. Hence, cannabis use became part of numerous religious rituals in that region.

The plant’s psychoactive effects were well-known in India, possibly due to the way it was prepared for use, which included at least three preparations. The weakest type, Bhang, consists of dry leaves from which flowers are carefully removed. A stronger type, Ganja, is prepared with the female-plant’s flowers. The strongest of them all is the Charas, made exclusively of the resin that covers female flowers. These forms of preparation guarantee the presence of active cannabinoids. Currently we know that the plant has secreting hairs that are located mainly on the female-plant’s flowers and, in a smaller amount, on the leaves of its superior third. Solitary resin glands most often form at the tips of the trichome stalks. These glands have a considerable amount of active cannabinoids. Breaking the glands liberates the active cannabinoids.

In India, the medical and religious use of cannabis probably began together around 1000 years B.C. The plant was used for innumerous functions, such as: analgesic (neuralgia, headache, toothache), anticonvulsant (epilepsy, tetanus, rabies), hypnotic, tranquilizer (anxiety, mania, hysteria), anesthetic, anti-inflammatory (rheumatism and other inflammatory diseases), antibiotic (topical use on skin infections, erysipelas, tuberculosis), antiparasite (internal and external worms), antispasmodic (colic, diarrhea), digestive, appetite stimulant, diuretic, aphrodisiac or anaphrodisiac, antitussive and expectorant (bronchitis, asthma).

Tibet

It is difficult to accurately assess the importance of cannabis throughout the history of Tibet, as much of what we do know is gleaned from sparse historical records, and beyond that it is not possible to do much more than interpret ambiguous religious texts and rely on speculation. The present-day Autonomous Region of Tibet (which is also known as Xizang, and roughly follows the traditional borders laid out in the 18th century) borders Nepal, India, Bhutan, and the Chinese provinces of Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Sichuan. Throughout the region, cannabis has for centuries been used as a source of food, fibre and oil, as well as for its medicinal and intoxicant properties. Furthermore, cannabis was traditionally considered sacred in Tibet, although little has been written about its religious or medicinal use. In Tantric Buddhism, which was developed in the Himalayas, cannabis was used to facilitate meditation. Though seldom reported, it is believed that the medical use of cannabis in Tibet was intense due to the following reasons: the concepts of Tibetan medicine stem from Hindu medicine; botany was of great importance in its pharmacopoeia; and, finally, cannabis was abundant in that region.

It is widely repeated that the Tibetan people domesticated cannabis in around 6,000 BCE (although it is not clear where this information is sourced from), primarily for the purpose of making rope and textiles. Later, Indian varieties were imported; these were apparently considered of far greater medicinal value than the local crop. While very little archaeological evidence regarding cannabis use has been uncovered in Tibet, sites have been excavated in Mebrak and Phudzeling, Upper Mustang (the independent Kingdom of Lo until 2008, Mustang is now a district of Nepal, although its culture and language have traditionally been Tibetan). These excavations have indicated that cannabis was being cultivated in the area between 1,000 and 400 BCE.

Cannabis is likely to have remained in use throughout the centuries; a collection of scrolls found in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Western China and dating from the 8th to 11th centuries are written in Tibetan, possibly on hemp paper. It is likely that the primary constituent of these particular scrolls was mulberry fibre, and that hemp fibres (most likely recycled textile scraps) were used to make ‘rag’ paper, although hemp was the primary component of Chinese paper for many centuries.

Middle East

Evidence suggests that the Assyrians also knew about the psychoactive effects of cannabis and used it as incense since the ninth century B.C. It is also possible that, before the Christian era, Assyrians used the plant externally for swellings and bruises, and internally for depression, impotence, arthritis, kidney stones, ‘female ailment’, and for the ‘annulment of witchcraft’.

In Persia, cannabis was also known before the Christian era. The Persians knew about the plants biphasic effect, and made a clear distinction between its initial euphoric and its late dysphoric effects.

Europe

In Europe, historical and archeological evidence suggests the presence of cannabis before the Christian era. It seems the plant was brought by Scythian invaders, who originated from Central Asian and reached close to the Mediterranean. In the year 450 B.C., Herodotus described a Scythian funeral ceremony, and stated that they inhaled the vapors obtained from burning cannabis seeds with ritualistic and euphoric purposes. That description was later confirmed by archaeologists who found charred cannabis seeds in Scythian tombs in Siberia and Germany.

Reference to the use of cannabis by the Greeks and the Romans are scarce, suggesting that it was little used by these people. In the beginning of the Christian era, there are two references of the use of the seed’s juice for earache and to drive worms and insects out of the ears.

Beginning of the Christian era to the 18^th century

In this period, the medical use of cannabis remained very intense in India and was then spread to the Middle East and Africa. In Arabia, well-known physicians mentioned cannabis in their medical compendiums, as Avicena, in the year 1000 A.D. Muslim texts mention the use of cannabis as a diuretic, digestive, anti-flatulent, ‘to clean the brain’, and to soothe pain of the ears. In 1464, Ibn al-Badri reported that the epileptic son of the caliph’s chamberlain was treated with the plant’s resin, and stated: it (cannabis) cured him completely, but he became an addict who could not for a moment be without the drug’.

Africa

Cannabis is known in Africa at least since the 15^th century, and its use was, possibly, introduced by Arab traders, somehow connected to India. This is evidenced by the similarity of the terms used for preparing the plant in Africa and India.

In Africa, the plant was used for snake bite, to facilitate childbirth, malaria, fever, blood poisoning, anthrax, asthma, and dysentery.

South America

In the Americas, the use of cannabis probably began in South America. In the 16^th century, the plant’s seeds reached Brazil; brought by African slaves, especially those from Angola, and its use was considerably common among Blacks in the Northeastern rural area. Most synonyms for cannabis in Brazil (maconha, diamba, liamba, and others) have their origin in the Angolan language. There are reports of the use of cannabis in that region’s popular religious rituals, especially the ‘Catimbó’, which includes cult to African deities and presumes the value of the plant for magical practice and treatment of diseases. In the rural environment, there are reports of the use of cannabis for toothache and menstrual cramps.

In Europe, during this period, cannabis was cultivated exclusively for fibers. Muslims introduced the manufacture of paper from cannabis, in 1150, first in Spain then in Italy. Cannabis descriptions are found in many books about plants written in this period, which clearly state, since the mid 18^th century, the distinction between male and female plants (previously described in a Chinese ideogram in the beginning of the Christian era). References to the medical use of cannabis are scarce. Europeans may have known about the plant’s medical use in the Middle East and Africa, but they confused it with opium.

Western medicine in the 19^th and 20^th centuries

There are some reports, from the early 19^th century, about the use of cannabis by European physicians, especially regarding the use of the seeds or homeopathic medications. However, the effective introduction of cannabis in Western medicine occurred in the midst 19^th century through the works of Willian B. O’Shaughnessy, an Irish physician, and by the book by Jacques-Joseph Moreau, a French psychiatrist.

In his book, O’Shaughnessy describes various successful human experiments using cannabis preparations for rheumatism, convulsions, and mainly for muscular spasms of tetanus and rabies. Moreau used cannabis with a different purpose. He was an assistant physician at the Charenton Asylum, near Paris, and a common therapeutic practice at the time was to accompany psychiatric patients in long trips to exotic and distant countries. During those trips he observed that the use of hashish (cannabis resin) was very common among Arabs, and he was impressed with the substance’s surprising effects. In Paris, around 1840, Moreau decided to experiment, systematically, different cannabis preparations; first on himself and later on his students. As an outcome, in 1845 he published the book ‘Du Hachisch et de l’Alienation Mentale: Etudes Psychologiques‘, with one of the most complete descriptions of the acute effects of cannabis. Moreau clearly states his purpose: ‘…I saw in hashish, more specifically in its effects on mental abilities, a powerful and unique method to investigate the genesis of mental illness’.

These two types of medical interest for cannabis, concerning its psychoactive effects (as an experimental psychotomimetic) as well as its therapeutic use, persisted through the years. O’Shaughnessy and Moreau’s contributions had a great impact on Western medicine, especially due to the scarcity of therapeutic options for infectious diseases such as rabies, cholera, and tetanus. The medical use of the drug spread from England and France reaching all Europe and then North America. In 1860, the first clinical conference about cannabis took place in America, organized by the Ohio State Medical Society.

North America

In the second half of the 19^th century, over 100 scientific articles were published in Europe and the United States about the therapeutic value of cannabis. The climax of the medical use of cannabis by Western medicine occurred in the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Various laboratories marketed cannabis extracts or tinctures, such as Merck (Germany), Burroughs-Wellcome (England), Bristol-Meyers Squibb (United States), Parke-Davis (United States), and Eli Lilly (United States).

The medical indications of cannabis, in the beginning of the 20^th century, were summarized in Sajous’s Analytic Cyclopedia of Practical Medicine (1924) in three areas:

1) Sedative or Hypnotic: in insomnia, senile insomnia, melancholia, mania, delirium tremens, chorea, tetanus, rabies, hay fever, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, coughs, paralysis agitans, exophtalmic goiter, spasm of the bladder, and gonorrhea.

2) Analgesic: in headaches, migraine, eye-strain, menopause, brain tumors, tic douloureux, neuralgia, gastric ulcer, gastralgia (indigestion), tabes, multiple neuritis, pain not due to lesions, uterine disturbances, dysmenorrhea, chronic inflammation, menorrhagia, impending abortion, postpartum hemorrhage, acute rheumatism, eczema, senile pruritus, tingling, formication and numbness of gout, and for relief of dental pain.

3) Other uses: to improve appetite and digestion, for the ‘pronounced anorexia following exhausting diseases’, gastric neuroses, dyspepsia, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, nephritis, hematuria, diabetes mellitus, cardiac palpitation, vertigo, sexual atony in the female, and impotence in the male.

Decline and Rediscovery

In the first decades of the 20^th century, the Western medical use of cannabis significantly decreased. This may have occurred, among other factors, because of the difficulty to obtain replicable effects, due to the extreme varying efficacy of different samples of the plant. At that time, the active principle of cannabis had not yet been isolated and the drug was used in the form of tinctures or extracts whose power was dependent on different factors, such as origin, age, and mode of preparation. In addition, various medications appeared at the end of the 19^th century, with known efficacy for the treatment of the main indications of cannabis. Vaccines were developed for various infectious diseases, such as tetanus; effective analgesics such as aspirin appeared , and hypodermic syringes allowed the injectable use of morphine; and, as a narcotic and sedative, cannabis was rivaled by substances such as chloral hydrate, paraldehyde, and barbiturates.

Finally, many legal restrictions limited the medical use and experimentation of cannabis. In the United States, as the result of a campaign of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, the Marihuana Tax Act law was passed in 1937. Under this Act, anyone using the plant was required to register and pay a tax of a dollar an ounce (28.35 g), for medical purposes, and 100 dollars an ounce for any other use. Despite the low value for medical use, the non-payment of this tax, however, resulted in a 2,000 dollar fine and/or 5 years imprisonment. This law brought difficulties for the use of the plant due to the excessive paperwork and the risk of severe punishment. When cannabis transaction regulations, including prescriptions, were transferred to the tribute area, this law circumvented a decision of the Supreme Court which gave the States the right to control commercial transactions and, in practice, meant banning the use of cannabis in the whole American territory. Cannabis was removed from the American pharmacopoeia in 1941.

In the second half of the 20^th century, cannabis reached great social importance due to the explosion of its consumption for hedonistic purposes. Until that time, in the West, the hedonistic use of the plant was limited to small groups. In Europe, groups of intellectuals gathered to use the drug. Descriptions of this use may be found in novels by 20^th century French writers, such as Gautier and Boudelaire. In the Americas, this practice was relatively common among the Black in the rural area of Northeastern Brazil since the 16^th century, who would meet on weekends to use the drug in groups. This use was later passed on to fishermen of the San Francisco River and by sea to the coastal cities. In the early 20^th century, the use of cannabis in Brazil remained restricted to small low-socioeconomic groups, and was known as the ‘opium of the poor’. 

In Mexico, cannabis was also used by the most underprivileged population and it was through Mexican immigrants that its use, for recreation, reached the United States in the first decades of the 20^th century. Until the 1950’s, in the United States, cannabis use was restricted to the neighborhoods of Blacks and Hispanic immigrants.

Since the 1960’s, the recreational use of cannabis rapidly spread among the younger ranges of the population throughout the Western world. In the United States, the percentage of young adults that had used cannabis, at least once, went from 5%, in 1967, to 44%, 49%, 68%, and 64%, in 1971, 1975, 1980, and 1982, respectively. This use remains high until today. In 1964, the chemical structure of D⁹-THC was identified by Gaoni and Mechoulam, which contributed to a proliferation of studies about the active constituents of cannabis.

The startling boost in cannabis consumption, which intensified its social importance, along with the better knowledge of its chemical composition (which made it possible to obtain its pure constituents) contributed to a significant increase in scientific interest for cannabis, as of 1965. The number of publications about cannabis reached their peak in the early 1970’s. In this period, a Brazilian research group, led by Carlini, had a great contribution, especially about the interactions of D⁹-THC with other cannabinoids. Since then, Carlini has been developing efforts for the realignment of public policies concerning cannabis control. 

After the middle of 1970’s, the number of publications started to slowly decline during the following two decades. The interest in studies about cannabis was renewed in the early 1990’s, with the description and cloning of specific receptors for the cannabinoids in the nervous system and the subsequent isolation of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid. Afterwards, the number of publications about cannabis has been continuously growing, attesting the great interest in research involving the herb.

With the growth of scientific interest for cannabis, its therapeutic effects are being once again studied, this time using more accurate scientific methods. There are studies, in different phases, about the therapeutic effects of D⁹-THC in conditions such as: epilepsy, insomnia, vomits, spasms, pain, glaucoma, asthma, inappetence, Tourette syndrome, and others. Among the therapeutic indications of D⁹-THC the following are considered close to being proven: anti-emetic, stimulant of appetite, analgesic, and in symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. Other cannabinoids are also under investigation, such as Canabidiol (CBD), which has evidence for therapeutic effects in epilepsy, insomnia, anxiety, inflammations, brain damage (as a neuroprotector), psychoses, and others. However, cannabis products must be used cautiously since some studies suggest that early-onset cannabis use can induce cognitive deficits and apparently acts as a risk factor for the onset of psychosis among vulnerable youths.

At the beginning of 2005, a multinational pharmaceutical laboratory received the approval in Canada, and is pleading authorization in the United Kingdom and the European Union, to market a medication containing D⁹-THC and CBD for the relief of neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis. Thus, a new cycle begins for the use of cannabis derivatives as medication, this time more consistently than in the past. The structures of chemical compounds derived from cannabis are now known, the mechanisms of their action in the nervous system are being elucidated with the discovery of an endogenous cannabinoid system, and treatment effectiveness and safety are being scientifically proven.

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil has become increasingly popular in India and worldwide, especially throughout the 2020 health crisis caused by the spread of novel coronavirus. The non-intoxicating marijuana extract is credited with successfully treating symptoms associated with a wide variety of medical problems including anxiety and inflammation.

It’s no wonder that during a stressful global pandemic, many customers have turned to CBD Oil as a way of relieving stress.

CBD oil and related products are advertised as containing CBD from hemp, defined in NDPS Act as cannabis plants that contain 0.3 percent or less of psychoactive compound THC. CBD doesn’t produce a high, and consumers swear it helps with aches and pains, anxiety, and other ailments such as sleeplessness. 

But Is It Safe & Effective?

Yes, cannabinoids have immunomodulatory effects. This means that they can restore balance to the immune system. If there is too much or too little of an inflammatory response, cannabinoids can help keep this to a happy medium. This does not mean that cannabinoids can beat viral infections.

Research

For a report published in the journal Neurotherapeutics in 2015, scientists analyzed this preliminary research and found that CBD oil shows promise in the acute treatment of conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Social Anxiety Study

While there’s currently a lack of large-scale clinical trials testing the use of CBD oil in the treatment of anxiety, a small study published in Neuropsychopharmacology in 2011 determined that CBD may help alleviate social anxiety.

For this study, 24 people with social anxiety disorder received either 600 milligrams (mg) of CBD or a placebo an hour and a half before performing a simulated public speaking test. Additionally, 12 other people with social anxiety disorder performed the same test without receiving any CBD treatment.

Results revealed that pre-treatment with CBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort while participants were delivering their speech.

Insomnia Study

One investigation found that, compared with a placebo, a CBD dosage of 160 milligrams (mg) increased sleep duration. The researchers also concluded that the placebo, 5 mg of the insomnia drug nitrazepam, and 40, 80, and 160 mg of CBD helped the participants fall asleep.

Levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, typically peak in the morning, but people with insomniamay have high cortisol levels at night. Independent of insomnia, having high cortisol levels at night is associated with an increased number of nighttime awakenings.

In one study on the effects of CBD, researchers found that cortisol levels decreased more significantly when participants took 300 or 600 mg of CBD oil. These results suggest that CBD affects the release of cortisol, possibly acting as a sedative.

A more recent analysis of CBD and sleep recruited 103 participants who had anxiety or poor sleep. The researchers studied the effects of CBD combined with those of other prescribed medications.

Depression Study

Many people still believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance — a serotonin deficiency. But this is a myth perpetuated by pharmaceutical advertisements. Serotonin is definitely part of the big picture — but the verdict is still out about who could use more or less serotonin, and depression is linked to many other neurotransmitter imbalances.

Furthermore, depression is also connected to conditions like inflammation and the structural brain changes resulting from trauma or chronic stress — all of which could be the real cause of the imbalances. Ultimately, there are a wide net of influences contributing to whether or not a person gets trapped by depression, including:

• Genetics
• Physical illness
• Chronic stress
• Stressful life events
• Past trauma
• Physical pain
• Social isolation
• Other emotional disorders

According to researchers, the major reason it works for seizures is that CBD protects neurons in the hippocampus — the exact brain area that is atrophied in depressed people — and there’s interesting evidence from both animal and human research:

• Rodent Evidence:In epileptic rats, CBD treatments reduce neuron atrophy and death in the hippocampus.
• Human Evidence:Like depressed people, chronic users of THC tend to have a smaller hippocampus, but CBD (in higher-CBD cannabis) helps prevent this shrinking.

Side effects and other risks of CBD

Overall, the available evidence suggests that CBD is well-tolerated. However, determining whether there are long-term risks of CBD use will require further studies.

So far, no reports of lethal CBD overdoses exist. Some researchers may be concerned about CBD abuse, but information on significant complications is limited.

Researchers do report that CBD may cause other adverse effects, including:

• alterations of cell viability, in studies conducted in cell cultures
• decreased fertilization capacity
• inhibition of drug metabolism in the liver
• decreased activity of P-glycoprotein and other drug transporters

If these effects on drug metabolism and transportation are confirmed, it would indicate that CBD interferes with other medications. Overall, more research is necessary.

Still, it is a good idea for anyone who wants to use CBD to speak with a healthcare provider first.